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With Nintendo focusing on more “important” titles like Wii Fit instead of building on successful franchises, fans of the Animal Crossing series are left a bit out in the cold. Sure, Harvest Moon is a fun title, but lacks the community building accolades of the tree shaking friends. So gamers are wondering who will step up to the plate and fill the void until Nintendo brings their popular franchise to the Wii. Well EA says, I, or should I say my with My Sims. What will throw gamers for a loop are the questions that will pop up. For instance, is this game like Animal Crossing, or is it like the Sims? The answer walks that fine line that gives no obvious conclusion, but does provide a satisfying community building culture that is fun and colorful. The design quality of My Sims allows you to create a unique and colorful world where no two gamers will have the same world. You begin by creating your Sim that will have a personality and style all their own. Complete with a few assorted accessories with more to be unlocked later, you can give your Sim a look that either reflects your life, or one you would just like to get away from. Once you have your Sim created it is time to move into a town that is low on population and design. It is up to you to create a welcoming and inviting surrounding that will not only spruce up your town, but be inviting enough to interest others to move in.
The residents come from all walks of life, whether they be a chef, kickboxing instructor, or even a DJ, all will lend a hand by utilizing their skills and knowledge to help rejuvenate your tiny town. Don’t forget to build good report and relations with your neighbors to keep them interested, wanted, and most importantly around. What My Sims has going for it is easy to use pallets and controls to help you bring out your creativity and make a town you would love to call home. But even with all the unlockables within the game, you will find there isn’t as much to do or create after just a few hours of game play. Yes you can build furniture, design clothes, and decorate not only your home, but town at your leisure, but it all becomes quite repetitive after a short while. For a game that symbolizes a community status, the lack of any multiplayer really puts a damper on keeping things fresh and interesting. This is a downer as this is the style of game that really reaps the benefits of “two heads are better than one”. It’s bad enough that no online sharing is available, but to not even share your town on one console is the real kicker and is what made the Animal Crossing title so fun and expanded its replay value. What’s more, for fans of the other Sims titles, this game doesn’t even remotely resemble that franchise either, as you don’t have to worry about micromanaging your duties, jobs, or skills to be successful. My Sims is a fun sandbox title that will entertain a more youthful crowd, as the depth and structure just doesn’t hold a candle to what the real Sims has to offer, or Animal Crossing which it’s trying to duplicate. My Sims ends up being a decent title that can be enjoyed in very small doses and really fails to take advantage of the opportunities it creates to make a successful franchise. My Sims is a fun title, but really could and should have been so much more.
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